Colleges would receive subsidies if their students take time off to fulfill their military service requirements, according to a draft measure the Ministry of Education is considering, the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) reported on Thursday.
With the reinstatement of one-year mandatory military service next year, students might be offered the option of joining a “flexible study program” that allows them to take leave from their studies to fulfill their military service.
The ministry is to provide a subsidy of NT$60,000 to public institutes and NT$120,000 to private institutes for every student who chooses the flexible study program.
Photo: CNA
The ministry said it would respect the choices students make to complete their mandatory military service while studying, as long as their learning is not affected and the number of credits required to graduate is not lowered.
The ministry said it would reference measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to establish guidelines for universities to help male students complete their military service.
From Jan. 1 next year, males born after 2005 are required to serve a year in the military after the government extended the duration of mandatory service.
Many who are starting a four-year bachelor’s degree this year would fall into that category, the ministry said.
Its policy focuses on bachelor’s students, as doctoral students have only 30 credits to accrue and they are not under as much pressure to finish their studies in four years, it said.
The ministry said that some universities are mulling summer courses for general studies, which would allow students to focus on major-specific classes in the academic year.
It said that universities could consider relaxing regulations for summer courses, allowing them to proceed even without meeting enrollment goals and permitting cross-university studies, which would enable students to avoid scheduling conflicts resulting from their service in the military.
Universities are urged to relax the credit ceiling for bachelor’s degree students in flexible studies and they should not be penalized for seeking more credits than required, it said.
Institutes should also make plans to ease the transition for students who have completed their service and return to a normal study program, the ministry said.
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